Hair-a-Thon

University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Children's Center is hosting two exciting events in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month on Saturday, September 21, 2024, from 9 a.m. to noon in the first-floor lobby of the UM Health-Sparrow Herbert-Herman Cancer Center, 1140 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48912, across the street from the hospital. Free parking for both events is available in Ramp B.

Walk-ins are always welcome at the Hair-a-Thon. No appointment is necessary!

We are thrilled to have reached the milestone of our 10th Annual Hair-a-Thon! If you care to share your hair for kids in need, volunteer stylists will be on site to provide free cuts for donation. Hair donations go to Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan and Children With Hair Loss. Both are Michigan-based organizations that provide free wigs for children and adolescents who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment or other causes. While most hair donations are made on a walk-in basis at the Hair-a-Thon, we do offer a limited number of appointments. For those who prefer, volunteers will be in front of the UM Health-Sparrow Herbert-Herman Cancer Center during the Hair-a-Thon to collect pre-cut ponytails and braids on a drive-up basis.

Although no appointment is required for this year's Hair-a-Thon, please feel free to reserve a time to donate your hair on Saturday, September 21.

For the second year in a row, we will be hosting a bone marrow registry drive through NMDP, formerly known as the National Marrow Donor Program and Be The Match. Individuals 18-40 years of age who are interested in joining the NMDP Registry can swab their cheeks and fill out registration information on-site to perhaps help a patient with a life-threatening blood cancer or disease. For more information about joining the registry, please visit NMDP.

We have donated thousands of ponytails and braids over the first nine years of the Hair-a-Thon. We are excited to be offering the Greater-Lansing community another way to make a positive impact by joining the national bone marrow registry. On behalf of the many individuals who benefit from the generosity of participants in both events, thank you for your ongoing interest and support!

Check out this year's flyer (PDF) for all of the event details.

Have some general questions about Hair-a-thon? Feel free to review the helpful Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) PDF.

If you would like more information about hair donation, the UM Health-Sparrow Children’s Center Hair-a-Thon or joining the NMDP, contact Cindy Meteyer at 517-364-2022 or Cindy.Meteyer@umhsparrow.org.